For the second year in a row, four animal science students at California State University, Chico took first place in the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) Western Section Academic Quadrathlon in Corvallis, Oregon on April 7­–8­, 2017.

Jamie Conner, Emily Dulany, Ben Grismer and Rebecca Swanson competed against Oregon State University, New Mexico State University and University of Utah, earning them a chance to defend their national title at the ASAS academic quadrathlon in Baltimore, Maryland in July.

The academic quadrathlon consists of four separate events. The team placed first in both the written exam and the “Jeopardy”-style quiz bowl, second in oral presentation and third in the laboratory practicums.

The team was coached by professors Patrick Doyle and Kasey DeAtley. DeAtley said the team did a fantastic job representing CSU, Chico, the College of Agriculture and the animal science program during the challenging event.

“They were put through two days of intense competition that covered science and management of everything from range science to nutrition and companion animals to livestock production,” DeAtley said. “It has been a great experience working with this year’s team.”

In preparation for this regional quadrathlon, the team spent the semester practicing presentation preparation and delivery, making visits to the University Farm animal units and sharing several critiquing sessions with coaches.

“My favorite part of this whole experience is the diversity. We all come from different animal science backgrounds, which makes it fun to learn from one another,” Dulaney said. “We are truly thankful for the support from our coaches, Dr. DeAtley and Dr. Doyle. We also owe our success to the animal science professors at Chico State for the depth of knowledge they’ve produced throughout our education.”